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A thread on scientific talks and musical viruosity. This post is mainly for people interested in science and traditional Irish music (I fish in small pools). I've been attending a lot of scientific presentations online recently, including from internationally renowned scientists.
Some of these presentations have included a kaleidoscope of impressive figures and graphics. Sometimes these figures are not explained in detail, leaving me impressed but not that much the wiser.
In other presentations, maybe the best example being the talk by the phenomenal @UriAlonWeizmann at the student-run #CGSB20 symposium (and several other talks at this excellent event) the sides are simple and the message they convey is crystal clear.
It reminded me of interviews I've seen with the great traditional Irish fiddler, Martin Hayes @MHayesmusic. Irish music emerged from farmhouses into concert halls and other public venues from the early part of the last century.
This revival came with pressures to demonstrate the worth of the music and the skill of its exponents. Virtuosity in Irish music resides in subtle and sometimes difficult ornamentations and variations on the basic tune structures.
These have been pursued and refined, with accomplished musicians capable of fantastically impressive instrumental feats. Martin Hayes' contribution was to bring the focus back onto the music, rather than the musician. He often played simple, well known tunes, deciding not to
concern himself about what people thought of his technical ability. These simple tunes that kids learn in Ireland became wonderful, haunting, alive again. Apparently unencumbered by any concern about what people might think of his ability as a musician, Hayes burrowed his way
into the soul of the tunes. His focus on honouring these simple melodies, retrieving them, finding the beauty inside them, combined with his musical creativity led to new ways to experience and appreciate these old tunes that everyone knew.
Is the same true for scientific presentations? Are some presenters of science free from concerns about demonstrating the sophistication of their work, so that they can focus on the ideas themselves, without feeling a need to impress their audience by their research virtuosity?
Can a conscious effort to shift the focus in this way lead to clearer presentations, better insights and more enjoyable scientific presentations?
